Birthday Present
by Raindrops on Roses
Summary: [Complete] Kate is not having a very good birthday. KateAbby.


Title: Birthday Present

Author: Shannon/Raindrops on Roses

Rating: PG-13  
Category: Romance, PWP

Spoilers: None.

Disclaimer: These characters belong to DPB, CBS, Paramount, et al. No copyright infringement is intended.

Author's Notes: This is a birthday fic for sadisticferret. Happy birthday!

* * *

"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you..." 

"Shut up, Dinozzo," Kate snapped as she sank into her chair.

Tony pouted. "Oh, come on, Kate. Can't a guy want to celebrate a friend's birthday?"

"Celebrate your own."

"But mine's not until March."

"Oh, good. So there's time to kill you before you're another year older."

Kate was not having a good day. Her hair dryer was broken, she dropped her PDA into a puddle, and she had almost been late to work.

She had to skip her morning coffee in order to be on time.

"Probie!" Oh, thank God. Harassing McGee would keep Tony occupied for the next few hours.

"Good morning," McGee replied warily. He placed his myriad belongings behind his desk, grabbed his coffee, and hurried off.

"Where you goin'?" Tony caught up with him.

"Abby needs some help..."

Kate sighed in relief. Blessed, blessed--

"Kate."

Damn.

Kate closed her eyes against her rising headache. "Good morning, Gibbs."

Kate's luck was holding. "Where the hell are McGee and Dinozzo?"

"I think they're--"

"Go find them, and tell them to get their asses back here!" Gibbs barked.

"Yes, _sir_. Right away, _sir_," Kate muttered under her breath. Crystalline eyes fixed on her sharply, but there was no response.

* * *

"Whoa! Way too much information!" 

Kate was certain she didn't want to know. The glass door slid shut behind her, and she said, "Gibbs says to get your asses back there. Direct quote, by the way."

She frowned as the two men nodded. McGee was blushing furiously, and refused to meet her eyes. Tony's face was a cross between leering and speculation.

Abby smiled sympathetically as they left her lab. "Hey, Kate." She turned. "Catch."

Kate caught the small red and white bottle. Extra-strength Tylenol. "You are a goddess, Abby."

"I know." The woman grinned cheekily. Kate laughed for the first time that day.

* * *

"Kate! Wait up!" 

No, no, no, no, no. This was not _happening_ to her.

"Yes, Tony?" she said after taking a deep breath.

"So... any plans for tonight?"

Kate frowned. She thought she had. But she'd never gotten the call. "No."

"Ah. Then I don't suppose you want to--"

"Not really."

"Why not?"

"Because, Tony," Kate said, "it's my birthday, I have a headache, my day has been absolute crap, and all I want to do right now is go home, take a nice, long bath, drink a lot of alcohol, and go to bed. Not necessarily in that order."

Tony opened his mouth to respond, but was cut off by the ringing of his cell phone. "Dinozzo." He paused. "Yeah... Uh-huh... 'Kay."

"Anything important?"

He gave her his usual sincere smile. "Nah. You sure you don't want to go out?"

"Yes, Tony. I'm sure."

He shrugged. "Okay."

She didn't notice the devious grin he wore as she headed for the elevator.

* * *

The bedroom door was closed. She distinctly remembered it being open as she rushed out the door that morning. 

Her eyes narrowed in suspicion. Her Sig was at work, locked in her bottom right desk drawer. Her personal weapon was in her nightstand. She wasn't about to let some asshole invade her territory. A knife would have to do.

She turned to go into the kitchen. She caught a whiff of something familiar. Almost like gunpowder, except... not. A smile tugged at her lips as she turned around and silently crossed the living room.

The bedroom was dim. Candles rested on the dresser and a low table nearby. The flames flickered in the draft as she closed the door behind her.

She took in the figure on the bed. She didn't know how long it had taken to tie those ribbons in the right places, but the effect was... interesting. Stimulating, even. "Are you going to stand there all night?" Abby asked in her gravelly voice.

"No," Kate replied. "I have to open my present."

Now she knew why Abby had left early that day. Kate smiled wickedly as she unbuttoned her sweater.

"Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me..."

_End._


End file.
